Building regulations re. piles : help

Does anyone know what the requirements are with regards to piles and their need for cross bracing? We are on a sloping section and have piles that at the rear of the house are quite high so at what height do they have a requirement (and need) for cross bracing to be used?

How old is your house? Building code came out in 1991 IIRC, and can't be applied retroactively, meaning if you house was built prior to 1991 it is not practical to apply today's higher standards to it (so in effect it doesn't need to comply!)

Hope this helps

Anything over 1 mtr would need a brace on it , but note the cost of the timber is low compared to any repairs needed , that if you are not sure , then cross brace and be done with it.
Also will depend on the depth of piles into the ground and the thickness of the pile.
If the ground is clay or gravel will also make a difference as clay is more self supporting, especially if concrete has been back poured to fill the hole.
Have done pile holes for both houses and retainer walls.

The only piles that require angle braces are those that are designated as bracing piles as part of the bracing plan. Ordinary piles can be up to 3m high and have no extra requirement.

Hi There,
Thanks for that. The home was built in 1916 but recently had new piles put in at the back. The piles are quite chunky. maybe 20cm thick and would be load bearing in places. Our home is on clay soil.

Repiling requires a building consent, so whatever you do don't ask your council for advice. I imagine whatever you have had put in is far better than the original

Not necessarily true - "some" piles can be replaced under a schedule 1 consent exemption. CCC indicated to me that up to 20% was okay, but told me (in writing) that if on propping/removing load, if it goes over their 20% limit by one or two, then no problems.
Of course it still needs to meet code, and a 2015 pile is going to be a hell of a lot better than a 1916 one.
As it can be exempt, then it could also be DIY - as there's no documentation. Not recommended IMO - especially as there's another issue - insurance. Every home policy seems to contain a clause about "removing a load-bearing structural member", of which a single pile is one, and which voids the home insurance policy. So you need separate building insurance, and I doubt you'll get it for DIY pile replacement - they'll want details of how the work's going to be done, who's doing it, and will stipulate that it's got to be propped etc. The builder's public liability insurance covers you if the builder stuffs up - but if there was a fire or natural disaster, and you were in the process of having any structural work done, then the insurer can deny the claim based on you inadvertently voiding your policy, even though the work being done had nothing to do with the loss.